The Police in Jigawa State dispersed many supporters and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, during a flag-off of the party’s zonal campaign rally in Gumel Local Government Area of the state.
okay NEWS gathered from a source in Jigawa that the party’s rally was disrupted for allegedly holding the campaign rally without police approval.
However, the Jigawa North West Vice Chairman and former commissioner of information, Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel, while speaking to newmen said the party had written to the commissioner of police in the state seeking permission 48 hours before the campaign.
He further stated that that request was granted by the police commissioner.
In his words: “It was today in the morning the commissioner of police called our chairman committee on security for the 2019 election campaign, notifying him that we have to cancel our rally because he realized that it was a market day.
“Cancelling the rally was not going to be possible because over 150,000 members have been mobilized for the rally from state and visitors from outside the state. So, there is no way you could stop them because they have already started coming.
“It’s quite unfortunate that when we came to the venue, police have already sieged the area and started discharging our supporters with teargas.
“The same constitution that makes the Inspector General of Police, President Muhammad Buhari and Jigawa State Government, gives us right to campaign for the 2019 general election. So, there is no basis for denying us our constitutional right.”
Babandi Ibrahim-Gumel went ahead to accuse the All Progressives Congress, APC, for masterminding the siege at the event as he threatened to drag the state commissioner of police and party to court.
